Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started . Infiniti made further changes to the I30's appearance and performance in mid, upgrading the engine to the more powerful PS ( kW;

The Infiniti Q30 is a small hatchback built and sold by Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand from The Q30 is built on the third generation Mercedes-Benz A- Class.

By , large Japanese companies were feeling the effect of the Japanese asset price bubble , and the reduced desirability of Infiniti's led to its facing extinction. Read our Cookie Policy. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Infiniti I30 was a mid-size, front-wheel-drive luxury sedan spun off from the Nissan Maxima.

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Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, , in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles includes dealers in over 50 countries.

In January chief executive Hiroto Saikawa announced that the Infiniti brand would be transformed into an electric brand, with all new vehicles either being hybrid or all electric by In , Infiniti moved its global headquarters from the Nissan corporate building in Yokohama and incorporated in Hong Kong as Infiniti Global Limited , with Carlos Ghosn intending for Infiniti to have a greater focus on the burgeoning luxury market in mainland China as it forecast the country to become the largest luxury car market.

The Infiniti marque is not used in Japan. However, the Infiniti Q50 is sold as a Nissan Skyline in Japan and retains Infiniti badging, though without the Infiniti brand or name. Most Infiniti models have direct equivalents in the Japanese domestic market Nissan lineup. The Infiniti brand was introduced in the United States in The marketing strategy was to target the premium vehicle segments in the United States that would not have otherwise fit in with Nissan's more mainstream image, and partially influenced by the Plaza Accord of The brand was created around the same time as Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda developed their Lexus and Acura premium brands.

The Japanese government imposed voluntary export restraints for the U. The Infiniti marque was launched with two models, the Q45 , and the M30 that were previously sold at Japanese Nissan Motor Store dealership networks. A second model was introduced in November , the 2-door M30 , a badge engineered Nissan Leopard. It remained in production for three years as an alternative to the Lexus SC. The M30 convertible weighed even more, due to the required body and chassis reinforcements.

The appearance of the M30 had almost no resemblance to the larger Q45, and the interior was almost completely different. Infiniti did not offer an mid-luxury sedan to match the first Japanese luxury sedan introduced to North America, the Acura Legend , which was later joined by the Lexus GS. Infiniti's first offering in the entry-level luxury segment was the Infiniti J30 , which had to compete with the revised Lexus ES and was unsuccessful owing to its small interior and unusual styling to which it was succeeded in by the Infiniti I series introduced previously in April , related to the Nissan Maxima and in by the Infiniti G According to the company, the Infiniti badge has a double meaning, as stylized representations of both a road extending into the horizon and of Mount Fuji , reflecting its Japanese origins.

Infiniti sales were slow. The company's initial campaign aimed to bring about brand awareness with Zen -influenced spots that focused on nature and tranquility, without showing the actual cars.

Some buyers had faux wood appliques added to areas surrounding the center console and around the interior door handles. The only item that had a bright appearance was the centrally installed analog clock in all models, a design that is currently maintained by the designers. By the mids, Infiniti was lagging behind Lexus and Acura in sales. The Q45 had retreated considerably from its focused, taut rendition of a sporty full-size luxury sedan, having become a barely recognizable, ponderously handling sedan that earned the nickname "The Japanese Lincoln".

The second generation G20 was marketed as a competitor to European entry-level luxury sport sedans, but it now weighed more than the first generation version.

Because Infiniti continued to use the SR20DE four-cylinder engine and compact size, it fell short of sales expectations.